What Ordinary Moments Would You Include in a Video About Your Life?

In “What Makes a New York City Kid?” Andy Newman writes, “The Times interviewed groups of young New Yorkers. About a dozen of them agreed to document their daily lives by making videos on their ubiquitous smartphones. Others tolerated us while we shadowed them and asked annoying questions.”

How would you feel about being shadowed by a video crew? What about having the assignment of documenting your life in video footage that would then become public?

Mr. Newman continues:

In many ways, of course, children in New York are like their counterparts elsewhere. Their lives are filled up with school and screens and friends and sports and siblings and parents. Backpacks are essential. They are partial to fast food and chain restaurants, and when we asked several dozen of them their favorite place in the city, the most popular answer by far was Times Square.

But there are differences, too. New York kids seem to worry about their safety more than most. They deal with a competitive high school admissions process that can be as nerve-racking as picking a college. They often have a hard time finding places to play, or simply a place of peace and quiet amid the cramped city’s unceasing roar.

Students: Read the entire article and watch the accompanying video, then tell us:

— What parts of the video resonate with your daily life? Why?

— What would you include in a video about an average day in your life?

— Do you think that certain elements of your video would be common to most people your age? If so, which?

— What people and places would you be sure to include? Why?

— The interactive is called “What Makes a New York City Kid?” If you substituted “New York City” for the place where you live, what would your video show?

— Or, if you also live in New York City, how would your video be similar to and different from the lives you saw in the video?

Students 13 and older are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.